A rich turn-based strategy experience that allows for deep customization, intense battles, and lots of replayability. Bear in mind that the learning curve is steep and the visual presentation is a bit underwhelming, by today's standards. Even so, fans can find lots of things to love in this indie title.

If you can get past the fact that you need to craft rather than combat your way to the finish line, Smoke and Sacrifice is a pleasant experience that will keep you occupied for 15-20 hours.

The best part of the game remains the atmosphere, every element of the game being purposefully conceived to contribute to the gloomy feel, that will grow heavier as you advance through the narrative. We cannot say that Rebirth is revolutionary, despite bringing several new gameplay elements, but it is still a solid horror game, recommended for both old-time fans and newcomers alike.

Krut: The Mythic Wings is a competent game that never manages to become more than the sum of its parts. The gameplay loop is decent but fails to develop in any interesting way. The narrative is solid enough to push players forward but never impresses. The game does look good, especially during boss engagements. But the decision to use the same currency to get upgrades and unlocks checkpoints adds a layer of difficulty that was not required (always go for the save point). And the combat fails to grow in complexity or coolness as the game progresses. Krut: The Mythic Wings is worth playing for fans of the action platformer space but does not manage to innovate in any significant way.

The only thing that I don’t like about the game is the DLC policy, meaning that a lot of the interesting stuff can be bought through DLCs, including two entire maps. Otherwise, if I had the time, I would probably lose entire days hunting virtual animals, and having an inexplicable feeling of accomplishment.

Starship Troopers: Terran Command shows how hard it can be to use a cult status intellectual property and make a good video game out of it. The core mechanics are solid, but the narrative is mediocre, and the presentation fails to impress. There’s fun in finding new ways to kill bugs but there’s not enough variety. The game lacks multiplayer. The development team at The Artistocrats played it too safe. The idea that unit positioning is crucial should have been explored in greater depth, alongside the combined arms elements. Terran Command offers a solid strategy experience but I would not recommend it to anyone who is not a fan of Starship Troopers.

All in all, Soulcalibur VI is fun, despite all of its problems, and I think it’s all that matters in a fighting game. If we also take into account the developer’s propensity to bring in characters from other games, such as The Witcher or Sonic, it moves the game to another meta-level. And that’s definitely something that players will want.

Gemini: Heroes Reborn is a pretty compelling first-person adventure that manages to borrow from bigger titles like BioShock, Mirror’s Edge, or PsiOps to deliver a mix that can delight gamers in general, not just fans of the Heroes universe. Its adventure isn’t the lengthiest, and the replayability factor isn’t all that great, but you’ll certainly enjoy bending time and flinging objects with your mind in this title.

UnderRail shows that classic ideas and mechanics can deliver impressive gameplay results even in an age when even the RPG space tends to lose its identity under the assault of improved graphics and the need to make combat the best way to solve every situation.

The combat is beautiful and flashy enough to make any fighting game or JRPG fan feel satisfied and while the graphics may seem a bit stiff, none of that matters during the fast-paced matches where you'll probably pay more attention to the ratio between your HP bar and your enemy's. Jump force allows players to finally answer those age-old questions, such as Who would win in a fight between Goku and Naruto Uzumaki?, which have been the subject of debates in forum discussions, memes or video commentaries, and that alone should be enough of a reason to make fans of the genre interested in the game.

The Last Worker could have created some complex problems and interesting situations using its gravity gun and extensive player mobility options. And there are a few game sections that are both immersive and tense. But most of the experience involves following other characters in tight spaces, with more focus on their conversations than on gameplay. The constant attempt to create real-world parallels feels forced. The experience has little space for the companions to have a relationship with the protagonist and there’s very little sense that this adventure has massive stakes. Maybe the narrative and gameplay mix works better in virtual reality. But The Last Worker has an intriguing premise and some decent mechanics and never makes either actually interesting to interact with.

Despite a few bumps along the way, Become the Moon is a standout entry in 2025’s crowded deckbuilding scene. Feldspar Games has taken a bold swing by fusing roguelike mechanics with auto-battler gameplay, and while it doesn’t always stick the landing, the game’s charm, strategic depth, and addictive loop more than make up for its flaws. With a generous selection of cards, meaningful leader choices, and a streamlined interface, Become the Moon is perfect for short bursts or hours-long marathons. It may not dethrone genre titans like Slay the Spire or Balatro, but it absolutely deserves a spot in any card-game fan’s library.

Ceres has plenty of potential, but the development team at Jotunn needs to continue to deliver updates for it to make sure that all the core features work as they should and do not push players to abandon the experience because of frustration.

Bloomtown: A different story is a wonderful JRPG, with western inspired themes, beautiful pixel art graphics and a challenging yet immersive gameplay. Sometimes it can become overwhelming, but the diabolical black humor tends to give you the necessary jolt to continue. It might not be as polished as a Persona game, but it is coherent and exciting, being a great choice for the fans of RPGs that you can lose yourself in. There are some weak points, where I wish the game could have been a bit more mature, but overall, it is great fun.

Beholder 3 has a few good ideas that fail to shine through the limited and repetitive mechanics. Some conversations, especially some with family members, elicit emotion and create genuine dilemmas. But I never was interested in the tenants, their problems, or my co-workers, and always played Frank as a survivor who can’t and won’t try to make the world a better place. I like how this actually fits well into the totalitarian framework of the game’s world. But much of my detachment is also linked to the mechanics, repetitive and lacking imagination, which eliminated emotion. Beholder 3 delivers a world worth exploring but fails to give the players the means to get engaging moments from it.

Tennis Manager 2022 is a solid entry into the sports management genre, but it needs to refine its mechanics to become a good fantasy fulfillment vehicle for tennis fans. The development team has put in the effort to gather and present information in useful ways, giving gamers plenty of ways to tweak tactics and motivate their players. Tournaments are well simulated, with stars reacting naturally when they hit a good or bad streak.

It's a pretty good game with a handful of hindrances that prevent it from being great. It's solid for an indie game but feels a bit flimsy somehow, as more depth would have greatly improved the experience.

In so many ways, calling this new release a “definitive edition” creates expectations that could eventually lead to more frustration from diehard Shadow Warrior fans. If anything, getting the definitive edition is something that first-time Shadow Warrior 3 players should do, as otherwise, the new title doesn’t bring too many exciting upgrades. The replayability barely exists, and if you’ve already completed the campaign, it’s hard to believe you’d ever start it again. Maybe the hardcore difficulty could make things a little bit more challenging, especially for those who fell in love with Shadow Warrior. But when it comes to missions and content, I can’t help but end this review in the same exact same way I started it. This new release has me hoping for more.

Mail Time is a lovely little indie adventure game, that tries not just to entertain, but also to gently remind us about being nicer and more accepting of each other. It is a lesson about not being afraid to fail and enjoying every moment of our lives. It is a game that can be finished in a couple of hours, and it has no replay value, yet it is one that is worth experiencing by all who are looking for a cozy adventure game set in a hidden magic world.

Broken Pieces has a decent narrative and puzzles that mostly make sense, with a camera system designed to evoke nostalgia. But the combat sections, few as they are, are mediocre and players need to quickly become invested in the story to keep moving forward, finding puzzle solutions, and returning to their home before 8 PM. The experience would have benefited from less reliance on cassette tapes. I also wanted to get more of a sense of how Elise is emotionally affected by everything that’s happening. Broken Pieces shows that a small team can deliver an engaging, tight experience but the game needs better integration between its narrative and gameplay.

Is Architect Life a game that can be used by real-life architects? Obviously, many aspects pertaining to an architect’s job are simplified, but the framework is there, and you can build some amazing places. I like the interface and building toolkit, not to mention the visuals are delightful and fit the game’s vibe and atmosphere. I think comparing this to “The Sims” is fair, but here you just focus on the building aspect, and Architect Life excels at it. Unlike games such as House Flipper or The Sims, here you don’t focus on buying/flipping houses or simulating people’s lives inside a home. Instead, Architect Life gives us some insight into how architects work, while allowing home designers to bring their craziest home ideas to life. The building tools are awesome, and the art style is stunning, not to mention you can play the career mode to challenge yourself or just go full-on creative mode for some relaxing builds.

The Blackout Club is one of those games that is sadly not very fun to play if you lack a group of close friends with whom you could play. More so, the player population is currently very low, and the high amount of bugs present, especially visual ones, might deter new player from spending money on a title that has almost amateur-level glitches. Lastly, if you would like the game to look a bit more decent, you're better off buying the PC version. While the graphics may not be all that better, and improvement is an improvement.

The Last Cube is a solid puzzle and platforming mix, with a focus on solid planning and careful execution. I like the pure nature of moving through the levels, constantly trying to keep in mind which face of the cube can interact with what element of the environment. But this is an experience enjoyed in small doses before the drabness of the universe gets to you. The narrative is the weakest part of the game, which would have been overlooked a few years ago. But the genre is getting increasingly crowded. The Last Cube can have good ideas and implementation but it also needed an interesting universe and better presentation to stand out.

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is part of an already long line of modern first-person shooters that target players' nostalgia for the genre’s classics. The engine is built on Quake tech and both the levels, and the enemies are designed to trigger a nostalgia response. It’s unlikely that fans of more modern FPS experiences will be interested. The big combat moments are tense and get the adrenaline flowing, especially when players remember how long it’s been since they used a soul tether. Unfortunately, WRATH: Aeon of Ruin has too many corridors and relies too much on enemies who teleport in to turn into the classic that it wants to be.

Fading Hearts is certainly a good visual novel game, managing to innovate in the genre by adding some big choices and by allowing characters to be more than just 2D people. The fact that they lie and most of them have fleshed out backgrounds makes you care about them even more.

The game fails to deliver too much in the way of story, and the graphics are a little limited, but the core building and optimization mechanics are captivating and give gamers plenty of interesting ways to tweak the layout of buildings and the paths that characters use.

Overall, Cris Tales is a charming tale, a great JRPG, and a memorable experience, with plenty of replay value. The characters are endearing, while the story is based on the innocence of childhood. It is almost like a time travel experience taking you back to when your parents used to read you bedtime stories. You can feel that the team poured their heart and soul into the game making it a game that will convince everyone willing to try it, even if they usually do not like JRPGs. It has some issues and for some, the visuals might be too colorful or cheerful, but it is an adventure worth playing through.

The graphics style, soundtrack, general direction of the story and the crude and extremely politically unfriendly dialogue makes the game stay true to its intentions. While the controls may not be the best, the story and dialogue stay the same, and if that's what you're in for, then that will just be a minor oversight.